Great Things Start Small
by HylianWolfos94
Summary: Winter is starting to nip at noses in Termina on a busy day through town. Yet, Iris is happy as if it were Spring time. Seeing this alone lifts her husband's spirits, as he wouldn't have it any other way. The two deku are expecting, so of course they'd be happy. But the day may hold many surprises as they make a visit to the Stock Pot Inn.


It was a rather cold day that day. The sky was dark with clouds, and snow sprinkled lightly onto the earth below. This had been the first snowfall of the year, and was a sure sign Winter was not far behind. Luckily in most parts of Termina, snowfall didn't last long. At least, areas not near the Snowhead Mountains. This was the time everyone walked outside with thick warm pelts and clothes, or were sitting in the house next to a fire with something warm to drink or a nice hot meal. It was cold outside even for Jace, and he was usually very tolerant of cold weather. He wrapped his arms around himself and breathed a breath, his breath shaped like a ring from his snout.

He was in Clock Town with Iris to stock up and prepare for Winter. Because at this time, getting in and out of the Swamp was a bit difficult when the snow got high or when paths would freeze over, so might as well prepare before things get worse. And the cold never killed deku babas, so if you tripped and slipped into one... Well, it wont be fun.  
Regardless of the cold, there was a warmth around Iris that made Jace forget about the cold the moment he saw her. She was the one he worried about in the Winter because of her inability to handle cold weather like most deku. Right now, everything in sight was sad looking and wilted. Even some deku had a rather wilted aura around them, down because Winter has here. Though, it was common for a deku to be in lower spirits in the Winter. Iris especially. She was usually so moody and grumpy, that one thing could set her off. So, why was it that she was perked up and happy right now? Were she human and be able to noticeably smile, she'd have a grin going from ear-to-ear. And she hardly complained about the cold at all, even though you could tell it bothered her by body language. And she had a hum in her tone, one that made Jace smile back to sweetly. It was very heartening to see her like this in the worst season.

Though, her reason was a good one. She had a magnificent glow about her- and not because of her eyes. In the dim colors of the world around her, a pinkish-white flower bud on the side of Iris' head sat delicately, putting a sense of Spring about her. She kept reaching up and holding the bud lightly, smiling everytime her hands touched it. This was the same bud that Iris found in her leaves about a month and a half ago. At the time, it was just white. And, was the result of the last time Jace and Iris pollenated. She treasured the bud, for she believed she could not conceive, but she had. Her happiness overwhelmed everything else. If anything... Her behavior was even happier than usual.

"Are you sure you're feeling alright, sweetie?" Jace asked sincerely "We shouldn't be out here for too long in the cold. I worry for you and the bud."  
"I just need to grab one more thing, and we can go stop somewhere." Iris responded "I just need to find where we can buy a decent blanket."  
The blond-leaved deku shook his head a little when he saw Iris try to cover up her shakiness from the cold, then grabbed Iris' hand "C'mon, let's go to the Stock Pot Inn. Maybe Rose has a blanket we can have."

"Alright, if you say so..." Iris sighed. She didn't argue, though. Jace just chuckled and wrapped a coated arm around her and said "You're so stubborn. Glad I got you to cooperate."  
Jace lead her through town as they walked by people who towered over them. Most races always seemed to look at them like they were children. Sometimes their heights and looks were gifts, and sometimes not. Had passersby known they were married and, in a way, _pregnant_, maybe people would know they're not two children. Though, people gave confused stares at Iris when they'd see her flower, thinking it odd for a bloom in Winter. Obviously, those that were confused didn't know much- if anything- about deku reproduction and that flowers didn't always mean seasonal change. The couple made their way through to the Inn. Jace had grown over the years, but he still had to sorta stand on the tips of his feet to reach the door. The door creaked open, and he held it for Iris.

The door coming open caught the attention of a person currently tending the counter. A very elderly man stood at the counter as he saw the couple walk in. He recognized the pair and smiled "Ah, Jacon. I'm surprised to see you here. It has been quite a while."  
Jace turned to him after shutting the door. "Haha, hey, Mr. Dotour. It certainly has."

Kafei, or Mr. Dotour, leaned on the counter, looking over the little pair as they sat down on the sofa for a bit and pulled their coats off. "What brings you all the way to Clock Town?". With that question, Jace responded "Stocking up on things before the Winter gets bad."  
Kafei chuckled "Rather early this year, are we, Jace? That might not be for a while." Just as Kafei said that, his daughter walked in.  
"Here's your tea, father." Rose said as she sat the glass down in front of him. Kafei thanked her, then pointed out to Jace and Iris.  
"Oh! We have guests! Nice to see the Leavances again." Rose began "How's things been?"  
"Things have been wonderful. We-" Jace was about to tell them the news, but Kafei spoke up.  
"Now Iris... I don't believe I noticed right away, but is that a bud in your hair?" he gave a light hearted smirk, and Iris giggled.  
"Yes, it is." She responded with a smile. Kafei continued "Does that mean what I think it means?"  
Rose seemed confused as to what the flower meant.

The deku girl blushed lightly and her leaves twitched. "Yes... Jace and I are expecting."  
"Oh my Gods, really!?" Rose placed a hand to her mouth "Oh, that's wonderful! How long have you been... Erm... Pregnant?"

Iris wasn't quite sure what to call it. That was basically what it was, so went with it "About a month and a half."  
"Oh, so not very long, huh?" Rose replied then added "So you'll have that for a while?"  
Iris shook her head no "No, I wont have this the whole time." she laughed, thinking on how that would be possible. "It'll bloom eventually and I'll have to plant the seed in soil."  
Rose leaned on the counter next to her father. "You'll have to forgive me, I don't know much about your race."  
"No, it's fine. I know it's a little different among your kind." Iris could only laugh again and lean back against the sofa. She honestly didn't understand how humans could carry children the way they did, and for nine months nonetheless... Sounded a little troublesome and painful. But then again, the bud may not be much, but the flower still requires for the mother to take extra care of herself. The flower saps energy and nutrients from her, and can indeed throw her system off and cause some sickness and mood swings. It's really much like being pregnant, but without weight gain, you don't give birth, and you're only _pregnant_ for a month or so before you plant the seed in the ground.

"You guys never stop by, it feels like ages pass between the times we see you. You used to come by all the time Jace." Kafei began placing some papers neatly into a pile on the side of the counter as he spoke to Jace and Iris.  
The blond deku leaned back on the sofa much like Iris, but had his hands behind his head. He would repeatedly visit back when he was a teenager. "Well, that was back when I was a wanderer. I don't do much wandering anymore, rather just staying home and running occasional errands. Our home all the way to town is a pretty long trip in itself. Besides, we've been kinda busy."

"So I see, young man." Kafei finished with a humble chuckle. Rose walked away and into the kitchen, leaving her father to do his work. The deku couple sat in silence, enjoying the warmth of the Inn. Jace had his eyes closed, just chilling out. Iris, however, was restless and always in thought, while the old clock on the wall would catch her attention from time-to-time. She felt hungry, actually. Shifting on the sofa caught Jace's attention finally when he turned a tired eye toward his wife. She'd stay in one position for a few moments, before changing. One leg would be draped over the other, then they'd switch. She'd lean on her left arm, then eventually switch to the right. Lean back, or lean forward, looking as if she wanted to say something, but didn't want to bother asking.

Finding her actions cute, Jace watched silently from the corner of his eye for a moment, before finally asking. "Are you hungry?"  
Iris flicked a leaf and looked to Jace, her ablaze-looking eyes now locked on him. "I guess so." she was wondering how he knew, but Jace knew her signs of restlessness had to mean _something_, so it was no secret. And her being drained and hungry only made sense. She's pregnant and has been walking all day. Surely, she's lacking energy. This wouldn't be much of a problem had it been a sunny day, but alas it's been cloudy and snowing. Photosynthesis couldn't do it's thing on a cloudy day.

Jace hopped off his seat and walked through the hall until he met the kitchen in the back. He asked Rose if she could bring them something, a soup if she had any. Jace offered to pay her for the meal, but she turned it down, saying they were welcome to whatever they needed. With that, Jace walked back to the lobby to be with Iris and sat down. "Rose is bringing us some soup."  
"Ah, that sounds really good..." Iris sighed. Just the thought of that warm soup helped warm her spirits.

After a bit of time, Rose brought them all small bowls of soup then went back to the kitchen. Jace took his time with his, but Iris had hers gone rather quickly. She was normally the slow eater of the two, so seeing it turned around was rather humorous. Iris still couldn't shake her restlessness though. She was content, yet felt very alert. She figured she was tired, and what energy she's gained is trying to keep her awake. Jace himself was a bit confused. He figured maybe she was ready to head home... So, after finishing up his soup and drinking the juice from it, he placed his and Iris' bowls up on the counter. He was about to ask Iris if she was ready to go, but just remembered why they came in the first place.

"Mr. Dotour, are there extra blankets here? One of our blankets back home was chewed up, and we don't have many for the winter. We can't seem to find any places around town that're selling any that don't cost an arm and a leg. And let's be honest, I need my arms and legs." Jace joked.  
Jace was known in the past for borrowing from the Inn for things like blankets and sleeping bags. Back then, though, he was also known for stealing from shops very, very rarely when broke. He always made a point to pay back later, though. It seems now he's completely stopped. Jace wasn't really proud of any of it, even back then. Really, it was his only way of getting by when he was having trouble finding pay.

Kafei smiled lightly at Jace, seeing a look on the deku's face that never got old. "Certainly, we've got more than we know what to do with. Hang on a second." Kafei walked away into a back room in the hall. Jace and Iris were left there waiting, when suddenly, Iris felt very antsy. Her leaves pinned back and she felt a strange sensation in her bud. She gave a puzzled look, kinda staring off into nowhere.  
"See babe, I told you we could just get a blanket here. Mr. Dotour wont mind at al-..." Jace paused when he saw the obvious tenseness in Iris' body-language. Most notably, in the way she had her leaves pinned back. She'd flicked her leafy bangs to inform Jace she'd heard him, but she didn't really say anything verbally. Jace continued, changing the subject. "Hon, what's wrong?"

"I dunno... I... Feel very strange." Iris replied.  
Jace gave a concerned stare, narrowing his eyes at her. "Strange how?"  
"It's the bud. I feel like I'm having to force it closed..." she brought her hand up to rest over the little closed flower. Her tenseness never eased, though.  
Jace immediately flipped out, stepping back one "W-w-wait, it's trying to open!?"  
"I think so." Iris replied. The blond deku only panicked as he began speaking, his words close together "No- no, bad timing, bad timing! We've got a long way to walk home, you can't bloom it now!"  
"Well, what do you want me to do!?"  
"I don't know! Keep it shut!"  
"That's harder than it looks, genius!"  
Jace placed his hands on his head just as Kafei came walking back, Rose following. They both heard the ruckus. Kafei placed the blanket on the counter. "What's the problem?"

"My bud is trying to bloom...!" Iris was now freaking out.  
Jace didn't know what to do "The minute it blooms, it needs to be placed in soil, and fast! Oh Gods, we should've been home by now!"  
Kafei leaned over the counter, placing his hand on Jace's head, swaying Jace a little to get his attention "Hey, stop freaking out. It's not helping Iris any."  
Jace could only reply with "Sir, you don't know how hard th-" though, Kafei cut Jace off with "Boy, I've run an Inn with my wife for years now, this isn't the first time we've had this happen. Rose, go get the soil." Kafei was well aware that these things were bound to happen when you own an Inn open to all races. This isn't the first time an expecting mother came in and went into labor. Though, with a deku, the solution was much simpler and less costly. "The last time this happened with a deku was while she and her husband were staying. They decided to stay a week to wait on the carnival when it happened to her. Since then, we've figured to be prepared for when this happens."

Just then, Rose came running back with a jar of soil. Jace shook his head "But it has to be a special kind of soil, very rich."  
"You think I'd give an expecting deku mother regular plain-jane soil? They sell this kind for a reason. This soil came straight from the South, some of the richest there is." Kafei handed Jace the jar. He looked to Iris, who really wasn't quite sure what to think at the moment. She was still straining to keep the flower closed, and at this point it was becoming difficult... Almost headache inducing. Jace walked her over to the sofa and they sat down. Jace pulled the lid off the jar, and that rich earthy scent hit him. It was natural instinct for a deku to know how good soil is by it's scent and by the way it feels. They'd have to, to know where to plant the seeds.  
Kafei wasn't lying, it was from the swamp. Not saying it stinks, but there are certain places where spots of healthy, rich soil can be found at the Swamp just like this. It often requires a lot of digging before hitting the rich spots. Jace knew this because they already have a place prepared back home.

Iris let go of her tenseness, which could be seen by the way her leaves came back up and were no longer pinned back. Her shoulders fell and she sighed as she rubbed her forehead. When she let the tenseness go, the bud was no longer being fought and began to slowly crack open and unfold from it's tight wrap. Jace could only watch, astounded. Iris held her hand to it, not knowing what would happen when it opened. Though, when the flower was completely open, nothing fell out to Iris' surprised and slight worry. She felt against the flower, and felt something stuck at the center. Relief eased her mind, knowing there was actually something there. The seed was being held by small roots. Iris had to pull, which hurt a little. She was gentle though. The roots released from around the seed, and it gently fell into her hands. She rubbed her head with her free hand where the now bloomed flower sat, and there was a slight sting from having to force it out of the roots.

She then gazed down to see the round, simple looking object in her hand. It was about the size of a bottle-cap. "..." she remained silent for a moment as she took it in, before speaking lowly, just enough for Jace to hear. "Funny to think this little thing is what changed me so much over the last month and a half." she had to think back on all the days she'd get sick, or feel extra tired, and all caused by this simple seed. It was much bigger and heavier than it appeared. Though, not in a bad way. She actually felt like she accomplished something by making it survive this far. Jace leaned in closer to look, sharing the stare Iris was giving. Right now, had anything been going on around them, they wouldn't have noticed. Everything else was tuned out around them. The Inn was pretty much empty right now though, so nothing was going on anyway.

Jace soon reached over into Iris' hand to gently take the seed. He looked at it, then finally placed it in the jar, burying it in the moist dirt. He didn't say much, because he didn't know what to say. He wasn't expecting today to be the day. He put the lid on and sighed. He sat the jar down between them both, looking at it for a while. When he looked up at Iris, she was still staring, too. She felt his sights set on her and looked at him with a happy expression. Jace smiled back, his face beaming. Just that expression said a million words, and he leaned in to hug Iris, who leaned back to hug him.  
"Let's head home... We gotta get this little guy tucked in." Jace said with a smile in his tone. His wife gave a silent nod.

Time passed on the trip back home. They had a lot to carry, but the seed was the most important of it all. Their hands were so full, they had to rent a boat through the swamp instead because they couldn't hop. Eventually they made it through the village and to their home out in the wilderness. With this, first thing they both did was lazily lay all the things they bought that day in the den and walked back to the extra room they'd been building in the underground home.

There was a dark spot in the soil on the ground that looked like someone had been tilling and digging there, right in the corner of the room. When they were both set, Iris took the lid off the jar and buried her hand in the soft soil to pull the seed out of it's resting place. Iris held it out for her and Jace to look at one more time, pride filling their hearts at seeing what they've achieved. Iris especially. She leaned on her knees and dug a deep hole in the ground's soft tilled soil. She placed the seed in there, and her and Jace both pushed the soil back over it together.  
"There. All tucked in." Iris' voice chirped.

Jace couldn't quit smiling. Iris finally said "So small... It's amazing really. I know it's fragile though.. I hope they make it further."  
Jace placed a loving hand to Iris' back and he rubbed. He responded, his voice sounding confident "All great things start small, babe. Just give it time. Once that deku flower springs up, it'll be smooth sailing from there. I promise." he looked back at the ground "We've come far, but we're not even half way through yet."

* * *

This was a continuation from When Miracles Happen.


End file.
